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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — in cards
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. firm — decided
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. scale — in music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. firm — a company
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. firm — steady
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com